Green River Levee Improvement Program

Project Description:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) de-certified all levees along the Green River in Kent. This has resulted in many property owners being required to purchase costly flood insurance and has hindered property owners ability to redevelop their properties. This project includes inspecting, rebuilding and improving all Green River levees as needed to protect the Kent valley from flooding. Standards varied widely when these levees were being constructed, generally during the 1930s and 1940s. The levees have protected the valley very well, and will continue to do so. However, FEMA will not accredit the levees until we provide data showing they are sound. The City has conducted geotechnical inspections of all levees to identify areas needing repair. We have submitted this data to FEMA in the form of a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR). We have begun to rebuild any weak or substandard sections.

Timeline of Events:

SR 516 to 231st Way Levee - FEMA submittal in Fall 2011 and construction in 2013Boeing Levee - FEMA will confirm in 2015 that the proposed levee improvements are adequate to remove the Kent Valley properties from floodplains